World-class teachers, teaching locally

Sue Cook is the proud granddaughter of the school's founder, Geraldine Lamb, and her own remarkable dance journey began right here at the Geraldine Lamb Dance School, where she was a BBO Scholar. Her talent was recognised from an early age and, at just 11 years old, Sue successfully auditioned for the prestigious Elmhurst Ballet School, beginning a career that would take her from the ballet studio to the professional stage and screen.

Today, Sue brings over 45 years of teaching experience to the dancers she teaches. She holds both the Teacher's Certificate and Diploma of the Royal Academy of Dance, and is a teaching member of the IDTA. She is also a Silver Swans Licensee and a certified teacher of Progressing Ballet Technique. Sue has also had the privilege of working as a trainee teacher mentor for the Royal Academy of Dance, helping to support and develop the next generation of dance teachers.

Her contribution to ballet and dance education was recognised when she was awarded Life Membership of the Royal Academy of Dance, a fitting honour for someone who has dedicated so much of her life to the art and teaching of dance.

Sue's professional career extends far beyond the classroom. Her stage and screen credits include the film International Velvet, as well as theatre productions including The Wind in the Willows, Peter Pan and Night and Day.

She has also had the opportunity to collaborate on choreography alongside the renowned Wayne Sleep.

While Sue has the knowledge and experience to teach all forms of dance, her passion now lies primarily in ballet, where she continues to inspire and develop dancers of all ages and abilities. She also oversees the production of the school's much-loved annual pantomime and plays a central role in the running and administration of the school.

For Sue, teaching is about far more than learning steps. It is about nurturing confidence, developing artistry, building discipline and watching a young dancer grow into the person they are destined to become.

Sue is married to Chris and they have two grown children, both of whom have followed in her footsteps to become successful dancers. The Cook family continues to play an active role in the running of the school, ensuring that the family tradition established by Geraldine Lamb more than a century ago continues to flourish.

With Sue's exceptional professional experience, teaching qualifications, and lifelong connection to the school, students have the unique opportunity to learn from a teacher whose life has quite literally been shaped by dance.

Kirsty Nicholson is a highly qualified and experienced teacher whose own dance journey began right here at the Geraldine Lamb Dance School. Her passion for dance and teaching has taken her from our studios to some of the most prestigious dance institutions and performance venues in the country, and she is now an invaluable part of the GLDS teaching team.

Kirsty continued her professional training at the Royal Academy of Dance, gaining a BA (Hons) Degree in the Art and Teaching of Ballet and the Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance. She also holds the ISTD Associate Teaching Qualification, Acrobatic Arts Level 1, and Alixa Flexibility Modules 1 and 2. Her expertise extends beyond dance, with a BCPA Level 3 qualification in Pilates, as well as a further degree in Social Studies and Criminal Justice.

With such a broad range of training and experience, Kirsty brings an exceptional depth of knowledge to her teaching. She is passionate about helping every student develop their technique, confidence and love of performing, while ensuring that training is both enjoyable and carefully taught.

Kirsty has also enjoyed an impressive performance career. She has performed for Roy Castle, danced alongside Wayne Sleep, and performed at the prestigious Royal Festival Hall.

Kirsty has played an important role in expanding opportunities for our students through the Geraldine Lamb Dance School's outreach programme. She initiated classes at Hyde Park Primary School and took over the dance classes at Plymouth College. She has also introduced Acro Dance to the school, which has proved to be extremely popular with our students.

Alongside her teaching career, Kirsty is a mum to three children and is also a Licensed Chaperone.

With her outstanding qualifications, professional performance experience and genuine passion for developing dancers, Kirsty offers students the opportunity to learn from a teacher with an exceptional breadth of knowledge and experience.

With a passion for performing, teaching and choreography, Rhianna brings an exciting combination of professional performance experience and creative energy to Geraldine Lamb Dance School.

Rhi's dance journey began as a student at Rhythm City, where they went on to become a member of the Rhythm City Company for the 2023-2024 cohort. During her time with the company, she was selected for the Student Teacher Programme, developing her skills and discovering a real passion for inspiring and working with other dancers.

Rhi is now a member of A.B. Collective, led by Ariel Born, whose creativity and guidance continue to be a major source of inspiration. Through A.B. Collective, they have had opportunities to develop as both a choreographer and teacher, working on visual projects and competition pieces. One of her proudest moments came when she created choreography for Rhythm City's end-of-year show, an experience which really ignited her passion for choreography.

Performing has always been a huge part of her life. Growing up with a mother who is a singer, they began performing on stage as a backing dancer and have since gained valuable experience performing in nightclubs and on stage alongside a variety of artists and DJs through CEC Entertainment.

With a genuine passion for teaching, choreography and performing, Rhianna is excited to share their enthusiasm and experience with the students at Geraldine Lamb Dance School. Her ambition is to continue developing as a creative and teacher, with the ultimate goal of leading their own team of dancers in the future.

Lara trained at Stella Mann College and Italia Conti after GLDS, then performed with Disney Cruise Line and on BBC television. She completed the RAD Professional Dancers' Teaching Diploma in 2016.

A certified DDMIX instructor trained by Darcy Bussell, and a member of the IDTA, NATD and LAMDA, she introduced Speech & Drama to the school and runs Speech & Drama with Lara. She has also taught at King's School Plymouth, Elmhurst Ballet School and the RAD in London, and is passionate about helping every student grow in confidence.

Yui left Japan at 15 to train at the State Ballet School of Berlin, where she was a finalist at the Australian Institute of Classical Ballet Awards and won silver at the International Dance Festival in Berlin.

Her career took her from Leipzig Ballet to soloist at Moravian Ballet, with principal roles in Swan Lake, La Bayadère, The Nutcracker and more. She won the Thálie Award for Best Female Dancer in the Czech Republic for Don Quixote, and later served as Principal Dancer at Ballet Theatre Malaysia. She now brings that world-class experience to our students.